Scooping apparatus for mine shafts



Feb. 19, 1957 R. c. slHTs SCOOPING APPARATUS FOR MINE SHAFTS 4:a sheets-snee: 1

Filed oct. 7, 1954 Robert C13/gms INVENTOR.

BY aaa/wy 5mm *bilan All Feb. 19, 1957 R. c. SIGHTS 2,781,926

scooPING APPARATUS FOR MINE sHAFTs Filed Oct. '7, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Ibm@ 30 i 'it 42 l.

Robe/'f C S/'g/N's INVENTOR.

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United Sttes Patent The present invention relates to excavating devicesand more` particularly relates to;r ,an :apparatus:- for. excavatingv z mine ,shafts,rwell shafts. and theilike; and for cleaning..y widening or deepening-said shafts` oncegthe -same .have

beensunk.` t

Theprimary object of'the presentinvention xsln the provision-of a shaft, excavatingapparatus comprising. an excavating. shovel, ort-bucket; piyotally vsupportedyby a. frame with operatingmeans for raising and lowering the.

frame, adjusting the lateralpositioning of the, frame relative, to a shaft wall and; tilting the .excavating bucketwhich operating means is carried by the frame.

Animportant-objectof theV invention, ancillary to the primary object, is in the .provision of anY excavating bucket supportingy frame Vhaving -a .-workingplatformthereon v supporting a vwinch for raising andlowering the `frame bywindingyand .unwindinga supporting.` cable from the winch which winch and frame cooperate toi-guidingly support the supporting cable relative to the frame wherebyf-,theframe willfatall times. be.urged v.to .a positionl of alignment with the supportingrcable whereby the frame,

will be positively urged toward one wall of the excavated shaft in accordance withnthepositionoffentrance of the supporting cabletfrom'iits supportingisource :relative to the top ofy theshaft.

A further object of the invention ,isin the provisionof'hydraulically extensiblecylinder and piston assemblies carried by the bucket supporting frame orvyoke and operablegfrom the working platform which act in conjunc. tion with .the cable guiding means of the yoke for adjustably positioning the yoke relative to thefside wall ,of `the shaft toward which the yoke is normally urged.

A further object of the invention is in the provision of a hydraulically operable extensible means interconnecting the excavating bucket in the yoke for controllably tilting the excavating bucket about the yoke.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details yof construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of the excavating apparatus of the present invention disposed for operation in a shaft;

Figure 2 is a front elevational View of the'excavating apparatus;

Figure 3 is a side elevational view of a portion of the apparatus disclosing the excavating shovel or bucket in position for scooping earth from the bottom of the shaft to deepen the same;

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 3 disclosing the bucketV in a second position lifting earth from the bottom of the shaft;

Figure 5 is a perspective View of the disconnected excavating bucket and its supporting frame or yoke; and

Figure 6 is a top view of the working platform mounted on the excavating frame disclosing the operating mecha- Vfratrie 16 of the apparatus or machine 10.

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nism/.on .this fplatformifor.controlling the apparatus there'- Y Referring.nowtonthez-drawings in detail, the excavating apparatustis designated Yin its entirety' -by the numeral 10 andeas shownineFigurenl is disposedwfor operation in a minehaftt or'.thel like 12.32.

The apparatusiitselficomprisesessentially an excavating Y bucket 14; carried betweenthearmstofaa supporting frame' onyokeflron suitable` trunnionsllwhereby-the bucket or; :shefvelcmay bei .swung 1 to various operating positions v relative totthe -iyoke 16.25-,

The frame or yoke 16 comprises a pair.. of parallel armsrZtlf: .whichf converge :toward one vanother adjacent their upper ends as at 22.to form a bight-portion.

Tnunnions 18 are vattacheclto, th'exarmsl()V adjacent 'the lowers-fends fr, thereof yand. "project linwardlyw between the arms througiraperturesl ina-the sides vof the. excavating f f scoop or bucket 14.

Betweenthefupperiends of--fthesyoke arms 2t) the lower endsofua .everti'callyaising standard 26.ds disposed and rigidly attached thereto.

Itermediatevitsf ends on vthe" parallel portions thereof,

thelarmstZt :are provided. withia `.supporting member 28 1 extending.v .therebetweentand Aattached .at its ends l thereto which; suppiorting;memberv inturn ycarries a -rearwardly extending'gworking platform 30.l

A ltpairgcofpspaced. :lugs 32.project i forwardly from the suppontingunembennzu:and :a :hydrauliecylinder 34 is carriedwpivotally between these lugs..r

From the endzofethee cylnder 34f projects a hydrauf lically:actuated;;plungere36 rwhich.l at its free .end is pivotallyi securede ;to: ^:a :pain: of #spaced :lugsY 38` which project upwardlyjfrom thenbaclewallrof the-excavating bucketl 14. With this arrangement, it will beseen with reference to -Figunesxfh and:4 particularly that `uponextension-and retraction-1;l ofrthe",v cylinder-.plunger36 J'the' excavating buckets-142@mayy nbexpivoted. about the frame 16--from a scoopingato a liftingazandvthence lto a dumping position.

Inorderfto.adjustablyposition the excavating apparatus l 10 .relatiyeto .one .ofthe Walls-of they shaft-'12, the lowervr endsaoflythelframe ornyoke arms 12) have rigidly attached thereto' hydraulic cylinders. 40! which -extend perpendicularly to the arms 20 in parallel relation to one another.l From the rearward endstoflcylinders 40-project hydrau'-, lically actuated plungers142.-having heads 44 at the free endsthereof ladaptedtoengage a wall of a shaft 12 and forcethe .apparatus-.outwardly away from such Wall.

To give added utility to the laterally adjusting means created by the hydraulic cylinders and plungers 40, 42, the frame is provided with a novel cable guide arrangement thereon whereby the frame will always maintain va vertical position in movement toward vertical alignment with the supporting source of the supporting cable of the apparatus. The vertical standard 26 of the frame 16 forms a portion of this guide arrangement by virtue of a cable guiding pulley wheel 46 mounted at the upper endy thereof'.

The otherportion of this guidingly supported means comprises a winch 48 mounted on the working platform 30. V'The suspending cable 50 usually enters the shaft at an angle to the shaft. This cable 50 passes through the f guide pulley 46 and its support at the upper end ofthe standard '26 and the frame 16 and is thence wound upon the winch 48 at its lower end portion with the portion of the cable between the winch 48 and the guide pulleyA and lowered within the shaft at the will of the operator on the working platform 30.

To operate the hydraulically extensible means for tilting the bucket 14 and for adjustably positioning the frame relative to the wall of the shaft, suitable hydraulic operating apparatus and connecting lines are provided on the platform 30. This construction will be most clearly apparent from an examination of Figure 6 wherein there is shown a pneumatic tiuid conduit 54 which may lead to a suitable surface reservoir,` the lower end of this conduit opening into a suitable air motor or the like S6 for operating the hydraulic pump 58 which is connected by means of hydraulic line 60,to a hydraulic accumulator 62 and through relief valve 64 and hydraulic line 66 to a tiuid storage tank 68.

Valves 70, 72 and 74 connect respectively through lines 76 and 73 to the accumulator 62 and the storage 68.

Lines 8? and 82 interconnect valve 74 with one of the laterally positioning cylinders 40 for extension and retraction of the plunger 42 in response to actuation of the valve 74.

Lines 84 and 86 interconnect valve 70 with the other lateral adjusting cylinder 40 for operating the plunger 42 of this cylinder.

Fluid lines 38 and 90 interconnect the valve 72 with the bucket tilting cylinder 34 for operation of the bucket 14 between its dumping, lifting and scooping positions.

In the operation of the device, the platform 30 is provided with a seat 92 thereon as shown in Figure 1 for enabling an operator to operate the controls for the winch and the hydraulically extensible mechanism while giving the operator in addition a clear view of the portion of the shaft in which the apparatus is operating.

Earth is scooped from the bottom or sides of the shaft upon the operation of the excavating bucket or scoop 14 and then dumped into a bail or bucket 94 for elevan'on to the surface for dumping.

From the foregoing, the construction and operation of the device will be readily understood and further explanation is believed to be unnecessary. However, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

l. A shaft excavating apparatus comprising a yoke and an excavating bucket, said yoke including a bight portion and a pair of spaced arms, said bucket being pivotally carried between said arms, a working platform supported by said yoke between said arms above said bucket, a winding drum on said platform having a supporting cable wound thereon, guide means on said yoke cooperating i with said winding drum for maintaining a portion of the supporting cable parallel thereto for a portion of the length of the yoke, extensible means carried by said yoke arms for engaging the wall of a shaft within which the apparatus is disposed, extensible means interconnecting said bucket and said platform for controlling the tilt of said bucket relative to the yoke, means rendering said winding drum operable from said platform for raising and lowering the apparatus, and means carried by said platform for actuating said extensible means.

2. A shaft excavating machine, said machine comprising'an excavating scoop supporting frame, an excavating scoop pivotally carried by said frame, means on said frame for guidingly attaching a suspension cable thereto at longitudinally spaced points therealong whereby the machine will b'e urged toward parallelism with the wall of a shaft within which it is disposed, extensible means fixedly mounted on said frame for positioning the frame relative to a wall of a shaft, and extensible means interconnecting said bucket and said frame, and a working platform carried by said frame, operating means on said platform for raising and lowering said frame and actuating said extensible means, said operating means including a Vcable winding winch on said platform for raising and lowering said frame on its suspension cable, said frame comprising a pair of spaced, generally parallel arms interconnected by a bight portion at their upper ends, a vertical standard extending upwardly from said bight portion and having a cable guide at the upper end thereof, said cable guide and said Winch comprising said guidingly attaching means.

3, The shaft excavating apparatus of claim 1 and a seat on whichan operator is adapted to rest, and means securing said seatto said platform.

References Cited in the le of this patent `UNI'I'ED STATES PATENTS 2,147,634 Campbell Feb. 21, 1939 2,393,432 Turner Jan. 22, 1946 2,474,803 Putnam June 28, 1949 2,530,714 McDougall Nov. 21, 1950 2,593,693 Osgood Apr. 22, 1952 2,671,283 Sights Mar. 9, 1954 2,678,741 Pilch May 18, 1954 

